The measurement and analysis of biological signals and investigation of their correlation with psychological processes has a long history. From the pioneering research into electrodermal phenomena in the late 19th century through to widespread application in psychiatry and criminology in the 1950's, the apparatus, methods and theories advanced to the point where practitioners employed instruments such as polygraphs and oscilloscopes as standard tools for evaluation of an individual's psychological state.
In the 1960's the theory and practice of biofeedback via physiological signals, such as electrodermal activity, became a popular field of research. Biofeedback is the process of making a person aware of psychophysical information which they can use to bring processes which are mainly subject to unconscious regulation under their direct (conscious) control. This research emerged from the laboratory and into the marketplace, in the form of commercially available products that people could use as psychological tools for therapy in their own homes.
Early biofeedback devices were relatively simple, the feedback signal typically being represented by the position of an oscilloscope dot on a screen or the pitch of an audio tone. Advances in the processing and graphical capabilities of home computers meant that, by the early 1980's, the feedback provided to the user could be presented in a much richer context for use both in therapeutic and consumer products.
Recently, the use of biofeedback devices in both clinical and commercial settings has increased, finding widespread application in therapies for anxiety, sleep disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others. Several biofeedback products for stress management have also come to market. Reducing the stress associated with modern, urban living is important to the general health of society; hence these products have a useful role to play in helping people to monitor and enhance their mental and physical well-being.
Traditional biofeedback systems are typically attached to the user via tape or some sort of binding. Further, traditional systems are large, heavy, non-portable wired arrangements that do not provide the user with a rewarding experience or desire for repeated use. Additionally, due to variations in human physiology, biometric signals can be difficult to accurately measure and track across the population, making it difficult to provide useful biofeedback on an individual basis. There is a need in the art for a mobile, ergonomic, aesthetically pleasing, entertaining and accurate biofeedback system that provides a user with an effective method for reducing stress and its associated, harmful effects on the body.